


Empathy

by willowoak_walker



Series: The Sentinel Jobs [2]
Category: Leverage, The Sentinel
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 12:53:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4565376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willowoak_walker/pseuds/willowoak_walker





	Empathy

The train is loud and cramped and no-one is happy to be there. Eliot can’t blame them, of course, but he also can’t ignore them. Or do anything about it. Guides are alleged to be able to change the mood of a room just by manipulating their own aura, but as far as Eliot can tell that’s an exaggeration. He can work with one person, if he knows what’s going on with them, but that’s less aura than interaction. And he sure can’t do anything about this many people being this grumpy.  


He’s just aware of it. Acutely, gratingly, exhaustingly aware of it. He’d raise another layer of shields, but that would make him vulnerable. Someone might turn violent. Half the women in the car are convinced someone is about to.  


They might be freaking out over him. Eliot would really like to turn violent. His body language must show that. The fear itches and makes him want to do something about it. Eliot relaxes his shoulders deliberately, breathes steadily and slowly, and sets himself to endure.  


Probably this will just be another incredibly boring anonymous train ride. Probably nothing will happen. Eliot hums to himself in rhythm with the train’s motion. He can still remember the lullaby his mother used to sing to him, even after all these years. The car’s affect is calming, a little. He must have been the threat. Eliot keeps his inoffensive body language and tries not to simmer with fury.  


People _do_ need to be afraid of him. _Just not these people._ The damn Guide instincts that come with the empathy want him to socialize this commuter car. Build relationships between the riders, make them a pack. Which is neither his job nor something he’d be any good at. God, Eliot wants something to _fight_.  


Nothing happens on that whole trip. People get on and off the way they always do. Eliot’s learned their patterns now. It’s a commuter, they do this every day. No-one talks to anyone else. The train roars steadily, just disorientingly not quite in a real rhythm. Eliot’s stop comes.  


He gets off. At least he can see the sky from the road.


End file.
